LONG-LIVED SUBDUCTION AND POST-SUBDUCTION VOLCANISM AND INCISION IN THE SIERRA SAN FRANCISCO, CENTRAL BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA, MEXICO
- Award ID(s):
- 1925535
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10177555
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs
- ISSN:
- 0016-7592
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Abstract The plate tectonic cycle produces chemically distinct mid-ocean ridge basalts and arc volcanics, with the latter enriched in elements such as Ba, Rb, Th, Sr and Pb and depleted in Nb owing to the water-rich flux from the subducted slab. Basalts from back-arc basins, with intermediate compositions, show that such a slab flux can be transported behind the volcanic front of the arc and incorporated into mantle flow. Hence it is puzzling why melts of subduction-modified mantle have rarely been recognized in mid-ocean ridge basalts. Here we report the first mid-ocean ridge basalt samples with distinct arc signatures, akin to back-arc basin basalts, from the Arctic Gakkel Ridge. A new high precision dataset for 576 Gakkel samples suggests a pervasive subduction influence in this region. This influence can also be identified in Atlantic and Indian mid-ocean ridge basalts but is nearly absent in Pacific mid-ocean ridge basalts. Such a hemispheric-scale upper mantle heterogeneity reflects subduction modification of the asthenospheric mantle which is incorporated into mantle flow, and whose geographical distribution is controlled dominantly by a “subduction shield” that has surrounded the Pacific Ocean for 180 Myr. Simple modeling suggests that a slab flux equivalent to ~13% of the output at arcs is incorporated into the convecting upper mantle.more » « less